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Volmer VJ-23 Help.

I have recently acquired a Volmer VJ-23 project. I have some plans, but they only cover a small part of the glider. If anyone is able to point me in the right direction or have plans for the Volmer, that would be great! This is also my first project, so any tips and pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the help!

Do a search for http://www.esoaring.com/ These guys are the sailplane home builders association, and a great many of these people worked with Volmer Jensen. The VJ 23 Swing wing is essentially a very sophisticated hang glider. The pilot is supported by the parallel bars shown in your second picture down there was no swinging seat. It is interesting that we were talking about this design at Tehachapi at the meet there labor day weekend. There are very few VJ 23's left. The metal version , the VJ24 Sun Fun was more popular. It looks like most of the aircraft is there, Unless glue joints have gone bad , you should only have minor repairs. Remember this aircraft was designed at the beginning of the hang glider movement, with the admonition " Do not fly it higher than you care to fall." Brian Evans.

VJ-23

Originally Posted by Joe Matz

I have recently acquired a Volmer VJ-23 project. I have some plans, but they only cover a small part of the glider. If anyone is able to point me in the right direction or have plans for the Volmer, that would be great! This is also my first project, so any tips and pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the help!

Joe:
I built a VJ-23 when I was in college....in the mid 70's. I had a lot of fun with it. I still have it but haven't flown it in years. Funny thing...just this last summer I started getting the bug to get it going again. I need to recover it. Volmer did an engine modification for it in the 80's. I have most of the parts including the engine and still want to do it. I looked at your pictures. It looks like there is some rust and damage to the airframe. Once the covering is off, you will be able to inspect the wood. It is a great flying little glider. Its the closest thing there is to flying like a bird. The standard controls make it much better than a typical hang glider. It handles very nice. Super easy to fly. Tons of fun. I also have all of the original plans for it.

Joe:
I will get my drawings scanned. Before I pass them on, have you checked to see if they are still available? I know Volmer passed his business on to a nephew or friend or somebody. I talked to him once or twice....maybe 10 years ago? I will check to see if I still have the number. The rights would belong to him. But if there is no one left, then it seems I could pass them on.

The glider called for 1.7 oz dacron, two coats of nitrate dope and one coat of butyrate. Those rib cap strips going to the trailing edge break easy. I broke a few on mine. When I fixed them I ran the doubler clear to the trailing edge. I will do that to all of the ribs when I recover.

Did you try Volmeraircraft.com? The VJ-22 amphibian was Volmer Jensen's big seller. Lots of them built and guys are still building them. They don't say anything about the VJ-23 glider on their website, but contact them to see if they still are selling the plans. If they don't, I will see about scanning mine. There are 9 - D size sheets (24" x 36".

BTW...a bit of trivia about the VJ-23 design. Volmer Jensen was a master craftsman and machinist. Interestingly, he built the model for the star ship Enterprise that was used in the original TV series. That model is now in the Smithsonian. Volmer had a partner in some of his designs....Irv Culver. Irv was one of the lead designers at the Lockheed skunkworks. He was also an avid sailplane enthusiast. Irv did the aerodynamic design and structural analysis of the VJ-23, as well as the U2 spyplane and the SR-71 Blackbird and many others. Volmer worked out the construction details. So you see it is no accident that it is such a good flying glider!